Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/338

 158 and Pain; Life and Death, Honour, and Infamy ; He that does not this, without struggling of Passions, without Unmanageable Preference, or Aversion ; is no Friend to the Divine Oeconomy; His Thoughts are Leud, and Mutinous, and so would his Actions be too, if he had Power.

By saying that Universal Nature, or God stands equally Affected to these different Dispensations, the meaning is that they are both comprehended in the general Scheme, and equally consequent to the first Establishment. They were Decreed by the Almighty from the Beginning, and struck out with the Lines of the Creation. Then 'twas that the Plan of Providence was drawn, and the Fate of Futurity Determined. Then Nature was made Prolifick, and enabled to bring forth in due Time : Then the whole Stock of Beings, the Revolutions of Fortune, and the Successions of Time, were all stated, and set a going.

II. He is better Bred, and more a Gentleman, that takes leave of the World without a blot in his Scutcheon ; And has nothing of Falshood and Dissimulation, of Luxury, or Pride to tarnish his Character. But when a Man is once dipt in these Vices, the next best thing is for him to quit, rather than live on, and be an Old Rh